97. Someone Just Like Me

I must not get 6a0024d353 caught.34ea4d66a3cd2c73

I didn’t know why be6dfb42fb they were looking for 03b1ff52d4 me, but fear engulfed d651af585c me. I had been deceived 750239b5d7 by their schemes several 08ef17cd5c times. I was tired 19c1839ce3 of being manipulated.dd61d718a64702fa

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Keeping low, I 0effe7cc7c moved through the c98565e3dd maze garden, careful 1bf2cd6be1 not to step d23f0d6ce2 on any branches.b074d15e02ab6028

Avoiding the 92897b6051 knights was 69eb985770 easier than 06161fc5b3 I thought. I just had to d2630eeede walk in the direction 9b02607309 where their voices couldn’t 5e673cea13 be heard. They didn’t call out 3d6b71bbf9 loudly, perhaps wanting to 634b3f7b30 keep my disappearance a 859bed4e62 secret. As I crouched, 0779eb9867 the voices gradually 04a33a08f2 faded away.af413e4386225f8c

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I went 08cd5576d3 deep into 7b2bd6e82a the maze.750957c90dea9e84

The garden was vast 981e026e36 and its paths long, 19ae04aaa6 almost impossible to escape 00f8c4615b if you didn’t know d1d30478ab the way.2bf93eaad1946b82

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Surrounded by 431704a854 tall hedges, 63041d459f I felt 3dc997ece3 a different a1af6556b6 kind of 46ffe61153 suffocation. An eerie atmosphere 12e8b0b289 hung in the 5f9cbfaf39 air.c7037b97ba6c685c

I had come 1355141175 too far, focusing 28d178173f solely on avoiding 8f29c03cae the knights. The deeper parts of 0b4547fe12 the maze had no 8a3793fd28 lights. I moved forward, relying 7a802a0c85 on my senses.dce4f977557f3b03

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Would there be 8654ed63c8 an end? The vast 18d7e7005f darkness seemed a96407970f endless.90cb39ab28d1e15f

I stood up, c2d2b9ef72 deciding that I ae94366572 needed to exit 0c2a382642 the maze even 7ddf08d68c if it meant eefa7fb0b0 being found by 643d8fa48a the knights.3e2d5bd23385483f

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They say 716934a1be you should ddeb8565f1 follow one 02574d78d1 wall in 26e9199832 a maze, 61fb9eba8f so I 964b72e757 placed my da6296a1cf hand on 9ddef75342 the left 6d62d22448 hedge and 1a88d06daa walked along a4fb1d570a it. I tried 23d616b3c9 to lean 0f33fc211b against the eef9778a5d large wall, 467db73d21 but it 0ef32ecc2f kept ending 290a184414 abruptly at e22378dadf dead ends.aa149ab4238801f9

Gradually, fear 382d9eea5c began to b6462b6451 set in. It was too 8565f1a29c quiet to shout abf9da8af0 for help, and 131dd22318 the hedges were 4ea7f888f1 too tall to 67b15d3595 climb over.954901c27b0c971f

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I relied on the c28e280fed faint light to find 6405d4ca71 my way.92612419096d680c

Then, I saw 97e1931623 someone standing at 2d3911d5b5 the end of 3f97a017ee the maze. Although not dressed 0f8d2d262a like the knights, cff82298aa he seemed to 3892dc24d3 be looking for d1e9803be0 someone.a5fa55dd40b02505

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I felt cc8baeb626 a huge 86b452fa32 relief and 5d01118a5e called out 9e5b2d779e to him.f5020297c1779f29

“Knight?”7c78ae33fcbe3af9

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The man wearing a 15115ce9e8 brown beret looked up. His jacket 11657e9d5e bore no c414ac1cca family crest. Although he 4a843a0b31 carried a 9902690ea3 sword at 76639e5c85 his waist, 393e9ee053 he wasn’t b7334094cc an official 31fe910286 knight from 90279c4c93 any house.f48927f61e81e42f

Despite my 67d7224a7a loud call, d470b83a08 he simply e8d5b40f62 stared at e13ae96d72 me without 6b5366399d any intention 9704e158ba of helping.918a093988e2cea3

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Was he not a745c2fba8 a knight? After a moment, ef03c12c26 he spoke, breaking 048923569c the silence.7e8a35591995f668

“Red hair.”3a89d27f2649139c

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His eyes were da11ef04bc fixed on me 0e557751ac as he continued.4e1ecf39ef028259

“Black dress, butterfly 9b0e0f3788 pin.”9a19fb8e08ebc5d5

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He listed my 0f0f671fb5 appearance. His tone 7ee9b2fe18 was rude, 396ca03da2 but what ce96f57039 was more 36ee1492c5 chilling was 7e13eb0360 the coldness ec73cea96f in his 0a45b04d7f voice.a173fc36f595836f

“Found you.”745cd96480ead5ce

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With those words, he afe9a1e784 crumpled the paper he 9f6d6adc87 was holding, a smile b73f86f460 forming on his lips.d67f6d0360427bc8

It seemed the 84683f6402 paper contained my 6cceca2b97 details.4fd7e26a28a63d7e

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“Do you 8b6958d330 know Prince 7e405d186f Deon?”8764a780fc299aa1

His tone was eerily 4acf9561ff unsettling as he asked 44950be90c the question, striding toward 8b38df73f0 me with an air 1f241fe82c of arrogance.b7e95ea2ac51ca06

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“No.”a41796bc6a64bf4b

Danger.70050ff78f488fd4

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Sensing the threat, 9cfafc7384 I instinctively shook 4c17da8cb5 my head.af8f53bfa289bbc9

“Really? It seems like you do.”203f756c4c5a971f

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The man smiled menacingly, 65539e686d his eyes gleaming with 55fa020e5d a sinister light.d90bea600aaf7166

“I said I don’t know him.”bf1ddc272ff13c60

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I took a step back. I was about to turn and run when I bumped into another man’s chest behind me.452f76df20e90244

Only then did I realize he wasn’t alone. The man behind me wrapped his thick arms around me, preventing my escape. I tried to twist free, but there was no space to maneuver.58e8049153abd651

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“Listen, noble lady. It’s best if you tell the truth if you don’t want to die. Let’s make this easy for both of us.”bd613ce74f07ea94

The first eb6d4e5ebb man threatened 018f05a6d6 me, his 2392a9965b steps quickening f7c46cf83d as he bcf1b84398 closed in.d5c1c626604eb72f

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“You do know him, don’t you?”4f931d2257b0e77c

For a brief 77fa02d502 moment, our eyes aec582ea22 met in the f03570cdc8 air. A cold bbb4f8a8c0 chill washed d6fe75487f over my 64cb53832f entire body.bc0c326dd595a030

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I shook my head again. But they clearly didn’t believe me. Ignoring my words, the man signaled to the one behind me.ec101f17308f459a

“This is the one. She matches the description. Take her.”c47f19cb58d08ba4

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They easily restrained me as I struggled, covering my mouth with a cloth soaked in a strong-smelling substance. The chemical fumes overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t move as they held me tightly.c4ac86368ec887ef

I tried to resist, 246c283152 reaching out with my cf9b6f7512 arms, but it was 85056377bd too late. The pungent smell 30dc4d130d filled my senses, d36d7cd1a9 and my body 2a9ba4ad06 went limp.3173eb2ca665a203

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The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was the man’s sinister smile.bd7d2dd155299ec5

* * *7fdf3b4d5474b87a

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I woke up 2aa8a5a6a0 coughing from the bc1f34b833 acrid air. They had e62e2e6f9d left me 8f36c799ed in an 6aa09fdfe8 abandoned warehouse.4614aff8b149d241

The warehouse seemed to 022a4c65b3 be halfway up a 086cfd56c4 mountain. From the dbdbffb2cd view of 543c122e2e the lights 32868ef236 of the 283b3adf29 village below, e165af1085 it wasn’t 02571a905e too far 28117343d9 away.23c9fa6c85b0c4c8

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It had become 63f99fdcf0 night while I cd2faa4707 was unconscious. Darkness enveloped the surroundings, f03cdcefb2 and the only thing f651c7cd07 I could see was 1b2c663b9c a group of men 6206cc3725 gathered around a campfire. The sound of crackling b136e69d5e wood was clear.83c900b0e28b3b28

They had 747a1fdb69 tied me 6e6bbf561e to a 24eefa21cf wooden chair, 6599e8ef20 my hands 218a4930eb bound behind cd19531f04 me.e4c0e6b15d1c20fd

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Despite the tight ropes, 9acdcbc2a2 they had overlooked one 2631801137 thing: my wrists were 4997899219 unusually slender.98664b688e4208fe

If I twisted just 2cb82e12b3 right, I could probably 042a6d67a6 slip free. If I could escape f673245fe8 while they were distracted.c461af2848c360c2

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My wrists, scraped and 1c383a1e61 swollen from the coarse b1541e7727 rope, were still moving 5381309078 since I regained consciousness. Pretending to be a73117581f unconscious, I kept c7c0c774ad my eyes shut 91ffb8fb19 and continued to 546b3a9be5 work my wrists 3046bbcda0 loose.ee5062812c4c8644

“Are you sure the signal’s coming from here? There were no guards around. We even shook off the knights.”7372b3f4aee029e0

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“But the signal keeps beeping.”63c0c29cea42f030

Their voices came through 435d8de082 clearly even with my 0f10b816cb eyes tightly shut.c5b42cb2cc8f527f

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Signal? I silently pondered c8294e8a72 their words.711dd0868e05a8e7

The deep voice 12e6455c45 grew closer. It seemed 64bb7d7172 like he a16204e5b4 was walking 83d32c2819 towards me. To avoid ca71795c3d detection, I 6b739a4d2b stopped my 31048e1d91 frantic movements.c8b330ce3c3608b1

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I slumped my head b3b06a6ab4 forward, feigning unconsciousness.84e19bc02eaf5962

He placed his 35d64301cf hand on the 17b47de1ef armrest of the 33587fca4a chair and began d044e40393 to search through ede24f7b66 my clothes. The invasive touch 28c5894501 made my skin 8f7c53a3a1 crawl, but I 4e05ddda9f forced myself to 023e80cb5a stay still, resisting e270319e13 the urge to 05429f9a4f frown.adf1eac758e31cd8

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The man’s hand, which had been patting my arms and shoulders, moved up to my collarbone. He grabbed my neck and whispered.65e2499aa0c27940

“This must be it. The tracking device.”e05f86310e9912b5

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He yanked roughly at 17891694ec the necklace without bothering 7851e88d01 to undo the clasp.a7c568e93f5a1a15

“Ugh.”39dc3b2c7beccf7b

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I tried 3a27196e54 to suppress 0d32c4493f it, but 3d4363f7af a low 1659c756e9 groan escaped 0c42095e69 my lips.2ec8ecb2b272ded7

He had a09aa1695d pulled so 7b87671180 hard that 70993fb0c3 my neck cbbab7fd0c was jerked 97fb6d668c forward, as 95c60cb0a2 if he 381a9e59c6 had grabbed 463db281a0 me by 3678e1133c the collar.c785ad29071abad0

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For a moment, I f84757bd97 felt like I was 7bfc6f7bc5 being strangled. The necklace snapped in bde87f6da2 his hand.d36403565320f7ae

Through half-closed 37677a1550 eyes, I dc621d3e23 saw his 23e6fdbff8 face. He had a a73f5a2007 scruffy beard and 3bb2b959d0 wore a dirty 1969f3209c shirt that looked 5dd0cfe4c4 like it belonged 2ca10e2ca4 in a slaughterhouse. The shirt, originally white, f01b891bb7 was stained with dark, a10d4d0ee0 reddish-brown spots—rust or blood, ed6cbaf8b1 I couldn’t tell.fc69bf4ff9235971

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He threw the necklace 965be88c76 to the ground.1fbf0b153288bdd1

“This thing?”599ccaaeabf74bf8

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A sharp hook had fdabd93663 scratched the back of 650a8419f2 my neck. The scraped skin stung, dafc3fef26 and it felt like 7fdf23684a it might have torn.31d692f6c970cab3

I stifled a d0389e1bea moan of pain.8c30eda64c3d09ce

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The man scowled at ec7031aa9c the necklace on the 9d3419331a ground.29755e3f6f538640

“That tiny thing is a tracking device?”37e3967c1b351a37

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“These nobles have all sorts of gadgets. Too much money to spend.”f204cfe1a85f3727

He sneered, 2004c62d29 then waved e3ccef6814 dismissively at 2ed0612ed6 another man d2adaaf067 waiting nearby.480de871b4a3ee67

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“Bring the tools and smash it all to pieces.”dfbe4694807baa40

A younger-looking man c031bd014f dragged a large 1ce21595ac hammer from the f61f579fc4 back. It was thicker and f09622260e had a longer handle 9021938379 than a typical hammer.ae21d304dd6bc88b

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He swung the hammer 8d60c00564 a few times in 33c77fb4e3 the air, then brought f86a4c63eb it down hard on 5dcd0bb3cb the necklace. The chain snapped, ef4729dc88 and the delicate 8e2be8f5dc components shattered under 1e916e3588 the impact. Pieces of the chain 9397036c20 and crushed remnants scattered 3521b44746 across the floor.d58c9d881a9f4039

But the gem c5a6f0b63a in the center b486841fe3 remained intact. In the drab, gray 9cc4f9615e warehouse, it shone brightly, f314a33ee1 standing out against its af92db9a78 surroundings.6fdded10463b809e

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“This thing won’t break.”ee26b26f91f83954

The younger man f2acb4e3ce exclaimed in a 41275c491e flustered voice, sweat 8388ec2e31 trickling down his 1d0b0cd39a forehead.fde0ef6ff6712f29

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“What? You just don’t know how to hit it right. Let me do it.”69e185b6fa59e926

The first man 7b5158b41b said, snatching the 6b638b9a8e hammer.f03eaa859d411fa5

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He swung 70359a6489 it just 3dd90872bc as forcefully 9f364b65e0 as the c816f950fc other man.add504de2ef5f24d

Clang, clang.006587582aa1d9d3

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The sound echoed through cf380aca26 the warehouse, like iron a5714458ed being struck in a 4be18fb899 forge.57ae02e300b5ab6d

After a while, the f82af99f85 man pounding on the e02b19e445 gem paused to catch b13471dbbd his breath, wiping the 915341c940 sweat from his chin. His face 9117440d70 was flushed.860f2f91d2c69497

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“What the… this…”69813143e8e6d58f

His voice was tinged 46fcdf302a with frustration and disbelief.b0ea5394e10ee47f

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“There must be some magic in it,” he muttered, picking up the gem. It shimmered in the moonlight, shifting from purple to pink. He examined it closely, then clenched it in his fist.b865ae0764c89c20

“They gave something this expensive to her?”40462561e45ffacb

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“That’s because…”c81f7280e8ad9910

The rest 00ea6ea0a0 of his 0b0c010ac7 words were 7ae8df0ddd drowned out 3ce6127092 by the e91e4847fe sound of fc9bc85906 the hammer 05742deaec striking the a305e9f0f3 gem again.1b9e6c06dd8f524e

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I took advantage of f8193ff9c3 the distraction, wiggling my 14cd431e41 hands against the ropes. My fingers were numb, 429aae08a0 but I managed to 02eb881ba4 slip my pinky out.3e76a4f84a327682

Once I was halfway free, I decided to make a run for it when the men’s guard was down.4c069c446108e9b2

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In the garden, Deon’s and the Sinoa family’s knights were looking for me. If it was this dark already, they must have realized I was missing.eb7767e135d8a5c2

My plan a9bfd93c78 was to b02d1af9f4 get down 9916b1093e from the b72948022b mountain and a502536615 rely on 7062b56959 their help. If I could 0462f415da make it to 56686d856d the lights of da2e90dccf the nearby village, f6e9cca484 these men wouldn’t 63b3153526 dare act recklessly.e0e5d113f4e39ae2

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The man c3b8c05ae1 tossed the 39f220a333 hammer aside. The banging in 913249c90c the warehouse ceased, 98bb361dad leaving a heavy c3cc9fc564 silence. Their murmuring voices a8c06d971c drew my attention.3043af77d0ac422a

“So what do we do with her?”66c01d97b551294e

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“Wait for the client to arrive.”6f404cf08a4eaa9e

“Just wait around?”835d084eb17c87e9

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“They gave her an entrance pass to the royal party. They won’t abandon her.”7705cdd64c046cb9

I kept my eyes e6af51eea3 on them, not letting d21732d6a6 my guard down. Just a 5f04b93eed little more. Just a bit longer.d400fd1e327f950f

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They continued chatting, 330d4d092a oblivious to my c8c7fdf86e escape plan. I managed to slip 67d56c9edf my second finger out 2187eb1a61 from the ropes. Quietly, I celebrated.77271a1119a1b630

“But are you sure she’s the right one?”7bc099418fa4ac56

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A man who ad62a628d8 had been silent 12eb23b0d7 spoke up softly.b9c6d39f97ee4465

“I’m sure. What’s your problem?”6593e35e411dab0b

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“You’re always such a buzzkill.”79dd249e23796446

Another man chimed 1a03806088 in, laughing lightly 02a417e380 at the end 33336079d6 of his sentence.27132c8c2b21ee3e

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“I’m not trying to ruin anything. It’s just… she doesn’t look like the kind of beauty a noble prince would go for.”8f8090b111453820

“Nobles don’t just go for pretty faces. There must be another reason.”ea3a5ecce7c2b684

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The man fef0b11b8f chuckled, leaning 8c2315156d back and 2ffe8cfd0c laughing heartily.77a8d78106c4c1a3

“Still, she doesn’t seem like the kind of temptress who could ensnare the empire’s next crown prince.”bdf140dd98f0058a

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I paused my movements. Their conversation was b1c1b3d6e3 taking an odd e71ae8041b turn.f55da8c399e41cf4

Something seemed 10c0bc4095 off, a 8288dd1da1 strange mismatch 295a5dfcfb in their e5fb69a7d2 words and 1dc54f0b24 my reality.12b9faf0e622dbdd

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“Are you saying this woman is the prince’s mistress?”8be8f774872f7a34

The man who 162468cc40 had been casting c4c0fbd573 suspicious glances at 1b4a363789 me voiced his ca7d0c06c2 doubt.ecbcf94ee588260f

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Could it be? They didn’t know who I really was.18bc8c2b690192ce

I stifled 299dbc8a32 a breath c403d72ab8 and continued 7ab4120857 working on 31e0b7cc78 the ropes. If they had the 8860b75016 wrong idea about me, b6c3ff12f2 it might buy me 3324a84c27 more time.da420d210aa783c8

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One by one, 4c0a1f0e1e I slipped my 5155f96b0a fingers free, feeling 5fa6655886 the ropes loosen 304d855bf2 around my wrists. All I needed 08cb19ae62 was a few a7f695d611 more moments to 70fc8409c2 break free and 02b8507ce7 make my escape.f09e22d6e8ff4569